By Aqeel Nomani
lagta hai mein si thi
aur mein si nahin hoti
aur mein si nahin hoti
“It seems there was some small lack in the love — and a small lack in love is no small thing.”
Romanहिन्दीAqeel Nomani
लगता है में थोड़ी सी थी
और में थोड़ी सी नहीं होती
और में थोड़ी सी नहीं होती
The verse in Devanagari — it carries the authenticity of the original, and every Hindi reader can read it.
♪ Hear the coupletA recitation in a synthesized voice.
The Interpretation
The couplet circles a single phrase — "a small lack in love" — and on the second pass overturns the word "small," insisting that no shortfall in love is ever minor. The repetition itself enacts the truth: what seemed a tiny crack will not stay tiny once you say it twice.
For You, Today
Do not dismiss a small deficiency in love as something you can live with — in love, small lacks do not stay small.
A couplet built entirely on turning its own modest word against itself.
Themes:Love & LossLonging
More from Aqeel Nomani
The heart of this site stays with Iqbal: explore his couplets → Or browse the whole Other Voices shelf →